The present invention relates to a magnetic disk drive used as an external storage of a computer system or the like and, more particularly, to a magnetic disk drive having an arm displacement limit mechanism for shock resistance.
A conventional magnetic disk drive adopts a contact start-stop (CSS) method in which a magnetic head slider comes into contact with a magnetic disk when disk drive operation is stopped and the magnetic head slider floats on a layer of air current produced by rotation of the magnetic disk when disk drive operation is started for writing or reading information on the magnetic disk. This method, however, gives rise to a problem that adherence may occur between the magnetic head slider and the magnetic disk or the surface of the magnetic disk may be damaged when an impact is applied to it by the magnetic head slider. To circumvent these disadvantages, it has been proposed to provide a load/unload mechanism which mechanically brings the magnetic head slider out of contact with the magnetic disk.
In Japanese unexamined Patent Publication No. 60579/1994, there is disclosed a load/unload method in which a support spring is shifted over a slant surface upward for loading/unloading operation. Another load/unload method in which the magnetic head slider is moved to a turnout position for loading/unloading operation is found in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 119733/1994.
In a small-sized magnetic disk drive contained in a recent portable computer, it is required to provide higher impact resistance than ever before. However, a magnetic head slider support mechanism is designed to have a thinner structure for implementing a slimmer magnetic disk drive or increasing the number of mounted magnetic disks.
In the conventional art, although a load/unload arm support member restrains the vicinity of the magnetic head slider against at least displacement in a direction of approaching the magnetic disk, free displacement in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic disk surface may occur on other parts. Therefore, if the magnetic disk drive receives an intense impact, the magnetic head slider support mechanism undergoes significant displacement, which may cause deformation of the support spring or damage to the magnetic disk due to impacting contact between the magnetic head slider support mechanism and the magnetic disk.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic disk drive in which impact resistance thereof is enhanced by suppressing significant displacement of a magnetic head slider mechanism due to an impact to be applied when a magnetic head slider is detached from the surface of a magnetic disk at the time of unloading.
In accomplishing this object of the present invention and according to one aspect thereof, there is provided a magnetic disk drive which comprises a load/unload mechanism for detaching a magnetic head slider from the surface of a magnetic disk, wherein a magnetic head slider support mechanism is restrained by a restraining part against displacement in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic disk surface when the magnetic head slider is unloaded.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magnetic disk drive which comprises a load/unload mechanism for detaching a magnetic head slider from the surface of a magnetic disk, wherein a magnetic head slider support mechanism is restrained by a restraining part against displacement in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic disk surface when the magnetic head slider is unloaded, and wherein the restraining part is kept out of contact with the magnetic head slider support mechanism while no impact is applied to the magnetic disk drive.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magnetic disk drive which comprises a load/unload mechanism for detaching a magnetic head slider from the surface of a magnetic disk, wherein a guide arm is restrained by a restraining part against displacement in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic disk surface when the magnetic head slider is unloaded.
According to other aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magnetic disk drive which comprises a load/unload mechanism for detaching a magnetic head slider from the surface of a magnetic disk, wherein a guide arm is restrained against displacement in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic disk surface by a restraining part in a space narrower than that between the magnetic disk surface and the guide arm facing the magnetic disk surface when the magnetic head slider is unloaded.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magnetic disk drive which comprises a load/unload mechanism for detaching a magnetic head slider from the surface of a magnetic disk, wherein a guide arm is restrained by a restraining part against displacement in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic disk surface when the magnetic head slider is detached from the magnetic disk surface for unloading, and wherein the restraining part is kept out of contact with the guide arm while no impact is applied to the magnetic disk drive.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.